Jamar Smith pleads guilty

Thursday

URBANA — Illinois sophomore guard Jamar Smith immediately began serving a 15-day sentence in the Champaign County jail after pleading guilty Thursday to felony aggravated driving under the influence.

By JOHN SUPINIE

GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE

URBANA — Illinois sophomore guard Jamar Smith immediately began serving a 15-day sentence in the Champaign County jail after pleading guilty Thursday to felony aggravated driving under the influence.

State’s attorney Julia Rietz said she dismissed a felony charge of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and decided to keep the first charge a felony because “of a very serious DUI with a crash that resulted in great bodily harm to a passenger, a high blood-alcohol content and circumstances that require us to tell the public that we’re going to take these cases seriously.’’

Smith’s status with the Illinois basketball team hasn’t been determined. Coach Bruce Weber would comment only through a written statement.

“I just learned of Jamar’s plea bargain,’’ Weber said in the statement. “We will need time to examine the facts and work with Ron Guenther and the university administration to bring closure to this situation.’’

While Smith’s future with the team is up in the air, his involvement in Illini workouts and meetings this spring strongly hint that he will return this fall after serving more punishment within the program.

Smith was charged after a crash late on Feb. 12. According to police, a 1996 Lexus driven by Smith crossed the centerline, left the roadway and struck a tree on South First Street in Champaign. Illinois freshman center Brian Carlwell, a passenger in the car, was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital with a severe concussion.

Smith’s blood-alcohol level was .176, more than two times the legal limit for an adult driver. Smith was 19 at the time of the accident.

Smith, a Peoria Richwoods High School graduate, also received 24 months of probation and must pay $1,000 in fines and fees plus court costs. He must serve 100 hours of public service, attend a victim impact panel and complete 75 hours of substance-abuse treatment. Since Smith must abstain from using alcohol and illegal drugs during the probation, he must submit to random testing conducted by the county.

Through a plea negotiated by attorney Mark Lipton of Champaign, Smith must serve the entire 15 days, although he was credited with one day of jail time served during the booking process in February. Smith’s license will be revoked for at least 18 months, Rietz said, and he must appeal to the state to apply for a new license.

“The significant thing here is he’s convicted of a felony,’’ Rietz said. “Some people would suggest that we reduce it down to a misdemeanor. The fact is that Brian Carlwell suffered great bodily harm as a result of this DUI. That’s a felony.’’

A university disciplinary panel already has determined that Smith can remain in school, Smith’s family said earlier this spring.

“I take full responsibility for what occurred on the night of February 12, and I am deeply remorseful for everything that happened,’’ Smith said in the statement released by the athletic department. “I sincerely apologize for my actions and for the negative light that I have brought to my family, friends, the university and the basketball program.

“What I did not only put myself in harm’s way, but I also put a teammate and anyone else that was on the road that night in danger. I have thought long and hard about the poor choices I made that night. I can’t go back in time and make it go away, but I can do something about it from this point on. That is why I will do everything in my power to make sure that nothing like this happens again.’’

Smith’s grandfather, Leroy Smith, declined to comment as he quickly left the courtroom.

“This is a typical resolution for this type of DUI case in Champaign County,’’ Rietz said. “From the beginning, the state’s attorney’s office considered this a felony.’’

Wearing a pressed blue shirt and a tie, Smith quietly pleaded guilty to Champaign County judge Richard Klaus and was taken immediately into custody. Smith will be released from jail before summer semester classes begin June 11 at Illinois. Rietz wouldn’t agree to home confinement as punishment, she said.

Smith and Carlwell each missed the 2006-07 season’s last eight games. Smith voluntarily agreed not to dress for games following the accident, although he practiced with the team. He didn’t travel with the Illini in the postseason. Hampered by ankle injuries, Smith averaged 8.1 points while shooting 33 percent from the field.

Carlwell’s recovery from the concussion kept him from practicing at full speed following a four-day stay in the hospital.

NOTE: Former Illinois wide receiver DERRICK MCPHEARSON pleaded not guilty to four counts of residential burglary, and his trial has been set for Aug. 20, Rietz said. McPhearson and JODY ELLIS, another former Illini receiver, were arrested on March 2 and kicked off the team three days later. McPhearson could serve a four-year prison sentence if convicted. Ellis pleaded guilty in a plea bargain earlier this month, accepting the state’s offer of four months in boot camp.

John Supinie can be reached at 377-1977 or johnsupinie@aol.com. For more Illini coverage, read his Illini Talk blog at www.sj-r.com.

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